If asked the question “What do you want to do most before you die?” what might be your answer? For me, it would be in the recalling of experience and the often intense emotion attached to this that I am unwilling to let go. For example, a simple thing like singing a song quietly to myself can affect my mood positively or negatively. The repetition of words and phrases in my brain when I talk or sing to myself is like a fish swimming in the flow of memory. In this work I sing the Chinese pop song “Mounting West Tower Alone” by Teresa Teng repetitively until I am physically and mentally exhausted (usually after two hours). At the beginning I try hard to sing it well and to enjoy singing it. After a while, I become so immersed in the song that I am tearful and on the point of losing control over my emotions, Towards the end, I become indifferent and weary, and perhaps, many things taking place in our life are similar to singing a song during a long time. Also recalling a treasured memory is the last gentle greed.
[Thanks to the Landscape before death workshop, directed by Tzu-Hung Yang]
